Effective Friday, Mattapoisett and Marion residents will be under a mandatory water ban due to the continuing drought conditions in the area that have resulted in declining groundwater. On Sept. 1, the state Drought Management Task Force moved the South Coast area from a drought watch to a drought warning, only one step below the worst category – emergency status.

The state has also recommended a water ban for all nonessential outdoor water use, and the towns have issued the ban in an effort to protect water in the even of public health and fire protection needs.

Nonessential uses include watering lawns with sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems, washing vehicles – unless done in a commercial car wash or for necessary maintenance of agricultural or commercial equipment, and washing buildings, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks unless necessary to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.

Nonessential outdoor water use does not include uses for health or safety reasons, by regulation, for the production of food and fiber, to maintain livestock, to meet core business functions, or for irrigating golf courses  – subject to town approval.

Exception are for gardens, flowers and ornamental plants watered with a handheld hose from 6 to 8 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. only, and for irrigation with harvested and stored stormwater runoff during those same hours. For those in Marion, watering is limited to Monday, Wednesday and Friday for even-numbered houses, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for odd-numbered houses.

Also in Marion, the following outdoor uses are subject to approval by the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners: irrigation to establish replanted or reseeded lawn or plantings, irrigation of newly planted lawns for homes or businesses constructed in the past year, filling of privately owned outdoor pools, and irrigation by golf courses to maintain tees and greens.

Marion residents using private wells and/or irrigating with wells are encouraged to participate in the restrictions.

Those found violating the bans may be subject to fines.